Microsoft investigating issue that breaks Start Menu and search in cumulative update KB4515384

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Start and search have issues for select devices following a recent cumulative update, but Microsoft is investigating the issue.

What you need to know

  • Microsoft is investigating an issue with Start and search that appears after updating to KB4515384.
  • The issues can cause the Start menu to not work, not appear, or lead to a "Critical Error."
  • The issues seem limited to a select number of devices.

Microsoft is investigating another search-related bug that appears in Windows 10 following a cumulative update. Several users reported issues with the Start menu after updating to cumulative update KB4515384. This is a separate issue from the high CPU usage issue that appeared last week.

This new issue can cause the Start menu to not appear, not work, or lead to a system stating it's run into a "Critical Error." The issue also breaks Windows Search in the taskbar. The critical error that appears states, "Your Start menu isn't working. We'll try to fix it the next time you sign in."

The issue seems to only affect a select number of devices. While there's a chance that it is related to the bug on build 18362.329, enabling the "BingSearchEnabled" Registry key won't resolve the issue. We have a guide on how to fix the issue by uninstalling the update that can help you use the Start menu and Windows Search while Microsoft figures out the issue.

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Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer

Sean Endicott is a News Writer at Windows Central, where he covers Windows 11, Surface hardware, Microsoft 365, AI, apps, and the broader PC ecosystem. Since joining the site in 2017, he has written well over a thousand articles across the Microsoft landscape, covering breaking news, analysis, and feature reporting.

He writes Windows Wrap, a weekly column covering the biggest stories in Windows and the PC industry, and what they mean for the platform going forward.

Before joining Windows Central full-time, Sean worked in journalism and media production after earning a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University. Outside of tech, he is an award-winning American football coach based in Nottingham, England, and was named BAFCA Youth Coach of the Year in 2024.